This is part 6 of Lois' Misadventures in India series. If you haven't heard of Loia' meltdown while on the road, click here.

No bed, shower or decent rest for 3 days straight!

By now, you've probably heard about my meltdown from Jodhpur to Mumbai and all the way to Goa. It almost made me give up my Sole Sister badge and just book the next plane ticket back to the Philippines! I totally lost my groove out there. You've seen the photos. It wasn't pretty!

What's a Sole Sister to do after such a grueling leg on the trip? What's the best way to get over a travel meltdown? How in the world did I get my groove back?

Hit the Beach of course!

When you think about India, you don't usually associate it with beaches. Streets lined with cow dung maybe, but beaches? I was very surprised when I came to India to find out they actually had pretty beaches. Maybe not the white-sand-turquoise-water beaches of your Philippines fantasies. But at this point, all I needed was some sun and sand . If you threw in some nice beach huts and a blood red sunset, that just sweetened the deal.

Destination: Swaying palms, white sands and sparkling waters of Palolem Beach in Goa. There's no better cure than the soothing serenity of a day on the beach. Don't you agree?

Here's how I got my groove back and had me feeling like my sunshiny self again:

Eating delicious Goan food cooked by the grandma who owned our guesthouse. Homecooked meals are one of Goa's best-kept secrets. We tried the Goa fish curry, papad, potatoes, dal made from chickpeas, tomato salad and Indian pickle.

Finding a place to stay with an amazing beachfront view. And the best part? (Besides the grandma who made us homecooked meals) It only cost us 200 INR (around 4USD) /night! What a good deal!

Ending the day with a spectacular sunset.

Have I mentioned the SUNSET?

A good book always helps. Especially because I was reading Holy Cow by Sarah Macdonald. A very hilarious and irreverent account of an Australian woman's search for spiritualism in spiritually bounteous India. I could totally relate to her outsider's perspective about the culture and ways of life in India. It's often puzzling, sometimes shocking and always incomprehensible.

Remember Elle Woods' famous line from Legally Blonde? Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. That seems to be true especially while on the beach. You can do yoga, swimming, kayaking, poi, cricket, softball and paddleball. Lounging on the beach and working on your tan while watching people exercise works too.

India is definitely high on my travel list, but I know that I'll have to budget some downtime periodically during my trip - just to recover from the culture shock! This post further convinces me that Goa is one of the places to recuperate :)

reading my favorite book while lazing on a beach never fails to recharge me no matter how battered and weary I am, (by the way I always look forward to your food tripping escapade in each place you visit, nakakagutom)

Oh yes, you're right about the culture shock Naomi. But I'm sure you'll do fine. Goa was indeed a great place to recuperate and also our first stop in the south. I have to say that in my experience, the people in the south are much more friendly and genuine. With less agenda and offers to sell you anything. Hope you make it to India and I'm sure you will love it. Your blog is amazing! I love your photos! Thanks for dropping by.

I sit on one corner and imagines myself back at the office staring at the computer while listening to my boss banter in the background talking to someone repeatedly saying "right, right, you get what I mean?" - that'll bring back my groove and appreciate that amid the chaos of being on the road, the romantic pull of it is uncommon and may be unconventional for many who only looks at the obvious (sitting comfortably at home, sipping drinks in a bar) while ignores the pleasures of being "battered" in the pursuit of real happiness which is seeing more of the world we live in.

In English please Marky. I'm drowning here in Southern Thailand ;-) Hehe But seriously, I can't imagine myself sitting at a desk and wondering: Is there more to this? There should be a way to balance passion and having a steady income.. Let's see how it goes.

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